Shoe stapler device



June 2, 1931.

E. DUNFORD SHOE STAPLER DEVICE Filed Dec. 4. 19.29

Zim/enfer Patented June 2, 193,1

UNITED STATES PArer ERNEST DUNFORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO LANDIS MACHINE COMPANY,

0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI SHOE STAPLER DEVICE Application led December 4, 1929. Serial No. 411,590.

My invention relates to shoe Staplers of the type described in Patent No. 1,016,930, issued February 13, 1912, to W. H. Borden, and consists in a no-vel throat block and associated structure for such a machine.

Machines of this type include a fiat bar constituting an inner former element over which a strip of wire is bent to form a staple, after which the inner former is withdrawn and a spring pressed driver bar engages the top of the staple to drive it through a discharge throat and into the work. An anvil is provided on the opposite side of the work for clinching the ends of the driven staple.

Due to the wedge-shape of the ends of the staples in general use, there is a tendency for the legs of the staple to spread as they go through the work and sometimes one of them will miss the anvil and project beyond the face of the work or through the upper, particularly so in womens shoes where the stapling is necessarily done closer to the side of the shoe in order to preserve a neat appearance of the narrow margin between the edge of the sole and the line of staples.

The tendency referred to is increased due to the fact that the staple material has a certain spring-like quality which causes the legs to spread away from each other upon the withdrawal of the outer former member.

The undesirable tendency referred to above has been partly eliminated by the use of the device disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 111,589 filed Dec. Ll, 1929, in which one of the staples is given an inclination from the vertical as it enters the work but this construction calls for grooving the inner face of the throat block which is a rather difficult proposition, particularly the helical grooving, because of the small diameter of the staple passageway.

It is an object of my present invention to overcome the disadvantages indicated above, first, by turning the staple at a slight angle to the edge of the sole. so that the ends of the staple, as they pass through the sole, will be directed along theupper rather than'transversely of the upper and, second, to form the throat block in two parts, the lower part of which will be separate from the upper part they enter the work and, accordingly, the f total spread of the points will be reduced. v In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my inven-V Figure 1 is a front View of astapler of the type referred to and it will be understood that most of the elements thereof form no part of my present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the throat block and its mounting.

Figure 3 is a top view of the block.

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal sections taken-on the lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section through ashoe outer sole, upper and inner sole showing astaple driven therethrough and properly clinched.

Figure 7 is a detail of a staple such as is generally used in machines of the kind referred to. f

The machine indicated in Figure 1 corresponds generally to that shown in the abovementioned Borden patent and includes mechanism for cutting short lengths of wire from .a coil and forming the lengths into staples S, such as shown in Figure 7, each having its ends bevelled to form points, the ends being bevelled in opposite directions in the completed staple. After being formed, a driver' (not shown) forces the staple downwardly from the point at which it is formed into the throat block structure indicated generally at 1 in Figure 1. Preferably, this block is made in two parts although the features of my invention may be embodied in a single throat device but only at increased cost and di'liiculty in manufacture.

A pair of mounting elements 2 and 3 are secured to the machine head 4 by bolts 5 or any other suitable device. A throat block upper member 6 is mounted in element 2 and a throat block lower member 7 is mounted in element 3. These throat block members may be secured to their respective mounting elements by set screws 8 or by other suitable fastening means.

The upper member 6 has a shorttapering opening 9 at its upper end for receiving the staple from the former and directing it into the throat passageway proper, indicated at l0, and I prefer to provide this passageway with opposite grooves ll each having a slight helical lead for engaging the legs of the staple and twisting the staple so that it enters the shoe sole at different points, or in a different direction, than it would enter if the grooves were straight or if the passageway l() were smooth from end to end.

The passageway l2 of the throat block lower member 7 is preferably smooth fromend to end and its diameter is smaller than the diameter of passageway 10 whereby the staple wi ll be narrowed in its movement through the member.

It will be understood that the upper member is large enough to receive the staple as it comesfrom' the former, irrespective of variations in the width of the staple due to wear in the former Yor springiness in the material of the staple.

As a result of the construction described, the throat block may be easily made because the helical groove or grooves in the short member 6 can be cut more readily than a corresponding groovefthrough a longer member, particularly as the diameter of the passageway is less than one-eighth inch. Obviously, the straight, smooth passageway through the lower member affords noA difliculty in manufacture. The smaller diameter of the lower member makes it possible to confine the points of the staple within a smaller radius as they enter the shoe sole 13 and, accordingly, Aare more likely to be properly engaged by the anvil 14 and clinched inwardly as shown at l5 in Figure 6. If desired, lower members having different interior diameters may be substituted for each other, thus varying the widt-h of the staple for different shoes.

While I have referred to throat block upper and lower members, it will be understood that I am using these terms in the sense of describing the throat block members in the order in which they receive the staple and that my invention may be embodied in a 'machine which would drive the staples horizontally instead of downwardly and in which both of the throat block members would be on the same level.

I contemplate the exclusive use of such variations in the details of my throat block structure as will occur to those skilled in the art and which come within the scope of my claims.

I claim: p

l. In a shoe stapler, a throat block distinct from staple forming mechanismand comprising' an upper member for receiving a formed staple, and a separate lower member with Va smooth cylindrical hole therethrough for receiving said staple fromsaid upper member and discharging it to the work, the interior diameter of said lower member being smaller than the interior diameter of said upper member.

2. In a shoe stapler, a throat block distinct from `staple forming mechanism and comprising an upper member for receiving a staple after it is formed, and a separate lower member with a cylindrical hole therethrough for'receivingsaid `staple from Vsaid upper rmember and discharging it to the work, the

arate lower member having a smooth cylindrical hole therethrough for receivingsaid ,staple from said upper member and discharging it to the work, the interior diameter of said lower member'being smaller than the interior diameter of said upper member measured' between opposite points on the bottoms of itsgrooves. l

` 4. A shoe stapler throat block for discharging a staple to the work and having a helical groove cut in its interior surface throughout a portion 'of its length only, the remaining portion including a cylindrical hole ,of diameter less than the internal diameter of the upper portion across the bottoms of the grooves. 1

In a shoe stapler, a staple driving mech-4 anism, an anvil forclinching staples driven thereby intothe work, and means for guiding said staples toward said anvil comprising a throat block having receiving and discharging portions, the receiving portion thereof having helical grooves therein .and the dis` charging portion thereof vhaving a smooth cylindrical hole therethrough of, diameter less than the diameter of the receiving portion across the bottoms of the grooves.

6. In a shoestapler, staple forming mem# bers, a throat block distinct from said members and comprising an upper portion for receiving a. staple after discharge from said forming members, and a lower portion for receivinof said staple' from said upper portion and disclharging it to the work, the interior surface of said lower portion being smooth and of lesser diameter than the interior surface of said upper memberand substantially parallel thereto. j

7. In a shoe stapler, staple driving land forming mechanism, an anvil for co-operating with said driving` mechanism to 4clinch a staple into the work, and means for directing the staplezlegs towards saidwanvil com prising 4a throat'block distinct from -said forming mechanism and Comprising upper and lower portions, said upper portion having staple leg engaging elements and said lower portion having a smooth cylindrical hole therethrough of lesser diameter than the interior diameter of said upper portion measured across the base of said elements.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature this 30th day of November, 1929.

ERNEST DUNFORDA. 

